FagyisSzent's musings

2011-04-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War by James Bradley

Most Americans have long assumed their country, headed by elected, generally benevolent and wise individuals, stood for democracy, progress and the good of mankind. Few have seen into the dark corners of the purified history of this great nation. This amazingly readable, thoroughly researched and highly educational book allows a sobering glimpse into the emergent expansionist ambitions of the US leadership during Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt's presidency convinced of the superiority of their race, and the moral rights to forcibly "civilize" those peoples, like the Hawaiians, the Cubans, and the Filipinos, who actually by the geographic location of their lands made perfect targets for the expansionist plans of those "following the sun".

Following the cruise of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of president Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt , secretary of war and future president William Howard Taft and other prominent individuals from Washington to San Francisco, across the Pacific to Japan, the Philippines, to China and back, as the framework, Bradley skillfully weaves the major US foreign policy events, a lot of them indeed blunders, into the story. He relates how the US tossed Spain out of the saddle in 1898 during the McKinley administration seizing Spanish interests Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. From a British colony, America becomes a colonizing power herself. The story of the city boy turned cowboy, nature man, Aryan hero Teddy Roosevelt is portrayed in plentiful detail. The systematic killing, raping, torturing and sacking of the Cuban and Filipinos, also treated in gruesome colours, is a chapter in the American history none should be proud of. "I am so angry with that infernal little Cuban republic that I would like to wipe its people off the face of the earth," Roosevelt expressed. These are the backdrop against which Bradley draws the book's fundamental conclusion: idiotic, racially motivated and filled with imperial ambitions (incidentally the title of another remarkable book by Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian), American foreign policy in the late 1800's and early 1900's lead to deep resentment about the US in the Pacific, the rise of imperial Japan, and ultimately, to 1941, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and thus World War II.

2011-04-18T18:00:00.005-04:00

It's not what the politicians say. It's the size of your grey matter.

Now, that yet another general election looms, and people amidst a general apathy regarding all things related to the parties' bickering and the overwhelming upset about how many millions of dollars are being flushed down the toilet again, The Star reports that we are predisposed about which parties we affiliate with. Researchers at University College London apparently found that whether we are conservatives or liberals has nothing to do with the parties, ideals, political whim, platforms, attractiveness of a particular candidate's hairdo, or other matters one would normally base a vote on, we can now excuse our mind from this debate and simply accept that we will vote conservative if we have "increased volume of the right amygdale" or liberal if we have "increased grey matter in the anterior cingulate cortex". What these mean, worry not! What matters is that we are not responsible for yet another thing. We are predisposed by such anatomical features. So if the liberals loose, they can blame one part of our anatomy, and if the conservatives loose, they can blame another one. Who the greens and the others will be allowed to blame is, as yet, unknown to me.

What I am also thinking about is how far some groups might take such biological differences causing political leanings. Will there be (again) time when people with certain anatomical features will be deemed more backward, less evolved than others? Will there be some genetic manipulation by hopeful parents who would love their offspring to follow them in their political footprints? I am sure this is fertile ground for some future thrillers yet to be written.

Link to the Star article:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/972100--are-political-leanings-hard-wired-into-the-brain

2010-11-10T07:59:00.002-05:00

Gorgeous sunset

2010-11-10T07:46:00.005-05:00

Toronto Potters' Fall Show

This year the Toronto Potters had their show at a new location.in the Leaside Memorial Gardens. When we arrived, I thought we may be at the wrong place as kids with hockey gear on were leaving and entering the building, but then we located the exhibition room. The new venue was brighter, larger allowing the ceramic artists display their goods in a more organized way with easier access for buyers to the ceramics.

A lot of beautiful pots, plates, mugs, and non-functional pieces were on display. It was well worth the time to visit even if we ended up not buying anything.

2010-11-08T20:09:00.007-05:00

Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair

First time this year I was able to attend the Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair. By funny coincidence I won a pair of tickets in the contest hosted by AbeBooks in which I had to guess correctly which one of four authors was not born in Toronto. So, this was definitely an experience I hope to repeat again. The feeling of walking among, touching and reading these wonderful antique volumes (even if I did not have funds to purchase some of the most beautiful old books ever) is one of a kind. Handling an early copy of Ovid's Metamorphoses or a 13th century book of hours, or a first edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula are reasons enough to look forward to the next such event. Also I was able to talk to some of the experts on book preservation and repair and received great advise.

2010-10-30T13:30:00.002-04:00

The story of the other wise man by Henry van Dyke

Some months ago I happened to be a short drive north of Toronto and on a whim decided to enter a thrift store there. Among the many usual worn-n-torn books there I found a handful of interesting ones from the late 19th to the early 20th century. This book was one of them.

We have been brought up with the Bible story of the Three Wise Men (or Magi) of the East, how they traveled from far-away countries to search for and offer their gifts to the new-born King at the manger-cradle in Bethlehem. But I have never before heard the wonderful story of the Other Wise Man, the fourth one from the order, who also saw the star in its rising, and set out to follow it. He, however, did not arrive with his brethren to greet the baby Jesus. This book provides a beautiful, engaging, thought- and emotion-provoking account of Artaban's journey from his land of the Magi to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, then back to Jerusalem.

He meets many a hardship on his journey, but the real challenges are those of decision. Decision between his unwavering commitment to find the King and his obligations as a caring, loving human being. While on his search for the King, he is presented with three major challenges, temptations if you will. In each he has to choose between helping a fellow suffering human being at the cost of always having to give up a portion of what he was to offer as gifts to Jesus. He chooses humanity. Compassion always wins over his determination to offer the rich gifts to the King.

Every step of his journey is bringing him closer to finally meeting the King while driving him into desperation that he will have nothing to offer as gift to Him.

As I would like you to read the story, I will not ruin it for you. Let's just say, the book teaches us about the paradox of having to give up all we want in order to gain what we truly need.

2010-10-30T08:35:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

In the spirit of Halloween, here is a picture I made in the Royal Ontario Museum's dinosaur exhibit.

2009-04-27T08:54:00.004-04:00

Black belt!

2009-02-02T15:29:00.003-05:00

"Question everything"

Euripides said: "Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing."

Recently I had the great pleasure of participating in a Toyota Business Practices (TBP) training. It was an eye-opener. That a division of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was able to reach such market dominance internationally was in no small part due to the guiding principles of its founder Sakichi Toyoda and his successors (notably Kiichiro Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno) that revolve around the simple ideas of designing out overburden (muri) and inconsistency (mura), and to eliminate waste (muda). That is, whatever the established work process is, look at it as a possible target for improvement by altering it in ways allowing more streamlined operations (eliminating any unnecessary or unproductive activity). "Question everything." Just because it has always been done this way does not mean this is ultimately the best way of doing it. And if it not, let's fix it.

My kind of philosophy. Looking at things with critical eyes but not for the sake of criticism itself but with the mind of continuously making things better (kaizen).

Inspiration can be found everywhere. Interestingly, the inspiration for the Toyota Production System (TPS), did not come from within automotive industry, but from visiting a Piggly Wiggly supermarket (incidentally, during a visit to Ford in the United States in the 1950s). The delegation was impressed by how the supermarket only reordered and restocked goods once they'd been bought by customers. This lead to the application of this practice in the automotive manufacturing process resulting in what has become known as the Toyota Production System, a system admired around the world for quality and efficiency.

Questioning everything has become a motto for my work at Toyota Canada Inc. I have been looking at business applications, processes (manual or automated), any activity with a mind that continually challenges: can it be done even better? Not every time the answer will come at the moment the question is raised. But when observing the way things are done (genchi genbutsu = go and see for yourself), and allowing the impressions sink in, inevitably ways of improvement will emerge. Maybe just very small improvements. But that's not the point. The point is the focus on making things better. For you, for the company and for the society within which the company operates.

2009-02-02T14:45:00.005-05:00

The world is a dangerous place. Well, according to Google anyway.

Google has just ensured us that we all have seriously messed it up. We (all web sites in the world, that is) are harmful. This past weekend Google had a system problem as a result of which all search hits came back with the qualifier: "This site may harm your computer".

I am just wondering: what if this had been true. What if there really was an explicit danger from going to any web site in the world. Would that change people's habits in any way? Would we stop surfing the net? Or would we just adapt? Simply learn to accept that there is danger out there but not being able to resist, we would still venture out?

2009-01-12T10:45:00.004-05:00

The great Google environmental footprint speculation

An interesting TimesOnline article written based on research done by Alex Wissner-Gross (MIT graduate now at Harvard) proposes that we should very much consider how much of an environmental impact each Google query has. The author obviously made some collateral impact on his environment by posting his estimate of such environmental impact as 7 grams of CO2 emitted per search.

Google posted a response according to which the figure is closer to 0.2 grams per search. This response also soberingly states that the "EU standard for tailpipe emissions calls for 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, but most cars don't reach that level yet. Thus, the average car driven for one kilometer produces as many greenhouse gases as a thousand Google searches."

Just by way of another comparison, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the US Government, on average each person in the world produces around 11 metric tons of CO2 each year. Canada's contribution is around 16 tons per capita. That's over 2.2 million Google searches a year per person!

So if you search less on Google, you might be able to help Canada achieve the Kyoto commitments - which big industry never allowed the Government to ratify! But the little individual is now shown the true direction to follow: Forget cutting down on your car's emissions! (How will the oil industry --the great polluter-- be able to post billion-dollar profits if you don't drive your car as inefficiently as possible?) Forget cheeseburgers! (By loosing pounds you may actually stay healthy and won't need drugs --great polluter #2-- or doctors as much, a big No! No!) Chop down on Google searches! 0.2 grams of CO2 per search!

2009-01-03T17:18:00.005-05:00

A good man gone

I was hoping to be able to come back from Hungary with some good news about the health of my wife's father. Unfortunately, God decided not to grant my wish.

My wife's father passed away on December 19th. We buried him on the 23rd. As far as it can be known he did not suffer and passed onto the next life peacefully. He was 73 years old.

A very sad Christmas for all of us all who knew and loved him.

2008-09-26T09:46:00.003-04:00

My picture of Passeig de Gràcia now on Schmap Guides Barcelona!

I just received a note from Schmap Guides that one of my pictures I shot last year of Casa Lleó Morera on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona was selected for the new (5th) edition of Schmap Guides Barcelona: iPhone version and web version.

This is great news, and I am quite happy about it.

2008-06-02T21:53:00.002-04:00

Leaves in the dark

2008-06-02T21:38:00.003-04:00

A nest in front of our house

A sandpiper (woodcock) set up a little nest right in front of our house. I was extremely happy to see the little creature trusting the neighbourhood. Here is she sitting on the eggs.

Trying to lure me away from the nest pretending to be injured.

The eggs in the nest

I surrounded the nest with warning tape to make sure people will not accidentally step onto it.

2008-05-07T10:32:00.001-04:00

Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels

Another well-researched, topically exciting and approachable book by Elaine Pagels. I have thoroughly enjoyed her other books on early Christianity. The Origin of Satan: How Christians Demonized Jews, Pagans, and Heretics explained how, from origins traceable to Jewish apocalyptic sources, then applied by the Christian movement, religious groups have demonized their enemies over the centuries, associating them with Satan and similar entities. Her analysis of the development of the ideas of human nature, moral freedom, and sexuality in the first four centuries of Christianity in Adam, Eve, and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity was equally insightful. I have found her discussions always thorough, well-based in facts or where facts are not available, in plausible theories supported by corroborating evidence. This book is no different.

In Gnostic Gospels Pagels takes the reader back to the first two centuries of the evolving Christianity, an ear when the memory of the life of Jesus was still relatively fresh and the interpretations of the meaning of his life and teachings were not yet codified into crede and dogmas. Christianity was in the labour of finding its identity. During this process conflicting ideas emerged about who Jesus was? Was he really God? Who is God? Was he the messiah? What does his death mean for the believers? What should one believe about what happened to him after his death? What does his and his followers' suffering mean? How does one attain the necessary understanding and insight? These and similar questions were in abundance and were freely discussed spawning various schools of thoughts leading to a fragmentation of the early movement. This lead leaders in the early church such as Ireneus to measures to bring unity of the faith to Christians by "standardizing" what should be accepted as correct teaching (orthodoxy) and what should be considered heresy.

Understanding the teachings of Christian orthodoxy is an exciting study. What is, however, equally exciting is the exploration of opposing views, such as those analyzed by Elaine Pagels here, and that were actually by means of force and counter force, shaping orthodoxy's own understanding. The polemics between orthodox (catholic) and gnostic groups were the ground from which the structural, theological, liturgical, moral and spiritual identity of Christianity emerged.

2008-05-07T09:47:00.003-04:00

Taking pictures in the neighbourhood

This past weekend the weather was so beautiful I had no excuse for taking a nice walk around the neighbourhood, down to the lake, and take a lot of pictures of the Spring in Ajax. Please click on the picture, and see the other pictures on my photoblog. Enjoy!

2008-04-28T11:55:00.002-04:00

Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post 9/11 World by Noam Chomsky

A friend of mine suggested that I should read the books of Chomsky. She showed me one that she was reading but was not willing to give it up so I could borrow it. She just could not part with that book and I simply could not understand it when she had lent me numerous book before. That is, until I finally got a copy of this and another of Chomsky's books (Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy) for myself and started reading them.

True, Chomsky's perspective is rather from the left side of the spectrum and the conversations (with David Barsamian) documented in this book are quite choppy both in topic and in depth of coverage, but his analysis of the US government's policies are well proven in the facts of history and the daily news. Even if the population at large is spoon-fed some saviour-like efforts from the high ranks of power, and grand visions of democratizing (whatever that means nowadays) the world. All this while the world's despise for US foreign policy is at an all-time high.

I found Chomsky's points very strong and thought provoking, albeit inconsistent on occasion. The book is an interesting read, difficult to put down, while one really would have to filter the statements with some healthy common sense and caution.

"His caustic denunciations of American 'war crimes'-comparisons to Nazi Germany are never far from hand-serve up plenty of red meat for his legions of fans on the disaffected left, but the discursive, unsystematic format is not the best introduction for readers unfamiliar with his nonconformist views" - writes the Publishers Weekly. Interesting to note in this criticism that its base-line problem with Chomsky is "his nonconformist views". Since when is conformism a virtue and lack of it fallacy?

2008-04-28T10:59:00.002-04:00

STOP WORKING: Here's How You Can Using the Strategy of Canada's Youngest Retiree by Derek Foster

A welcome introductory work into the thinking of the investor who has a long-term vision in mind, that of retiring early and comfortably. Way too many investors jump into the market with the assumption of quick bucks. Way too many seminars, books, etc. promote the mentality of the day trader, and try to attract novice investors with practically no theoretical background or financial staying power to the world of options and futures.

The Derek Foster book, in contrast, proposes a much more cautios and well-reasoned approach for those who are willing to start early and do not expect to meet the retirement nest egg objective within the first year or so. The proposed strategy works in a remarkably simple manner. Don't go for the promise of quick gain. Go with investment that involves:
- companies whose business you understand
- companies that are recession proof
- companies that have a long and positive dividend track record

I like the STOP WORKING approach for its simplicity.

One caution: the stocks listed in the book (and its follow-up The Lazy Investor: Start with $50...and no Investment Knowledge) may refer to stock that may not be offered or may not match the above criteria any longer.

2008-04-14T16:49:00.006-04:00

A day at the Gallery

Yesterday was the opening of the exhibition of my wife's ceramic art at the Toronto Cedar Ridge Gallery. There were two other talented artists showing their pieces creating a very supportive environment with good energy. It was a great success! Lots of friends and their friends came. Here are some pictures. More to come.

The gallery is at:
225 Confederation Drive,
Scarborough, ON M1G 1B2
Phone: 416-396-4026

2008-03-22T15:50:00.000-04:00

The One of a Kind Show - Toronto

Definitely an experience! Should probably be called "Many Things of Many Kinds" because there were hundreds of vendors (painters, clothiers, potters, wood turners, home decorators, jewelers, soap makers, health food suppliers, a couple of every kind) with thousands of products they wanted you to buy. Huge crowd. We even lost each other once among the zillions of people. The mass of people makes it a practical impossibility to walk the rows in your own pace. But that's probably the idea. Make you to stop at every booth. As I saw, we were not the only ones ending up completely exhausted by the end of our tour. It was really a great relief to arrive home and have a well-deserved rest.

Still, we saw some truly fantastic ideas, so it was worth it. Some beautiful pottery by Anne Armstrong, Deborah Doran and Melissa Schooley (Raging Bowl Pottery), exquisite turned wood pens by Larry Tucker, cool cutting boards by Gary & Nick Kennell, or highly unorthodox wooden seats by Guerrilla Design.

The show is on until March 24th.

2008-03-20T12:45:00.002-04:00

The end of an Odyssey

Arthur C. Clarke, one of my dearest Sci-Fi writers has passed on to another reality.

There was a period I was just reading Arthur C. Clarke books. One after the other. The Prelude to Space, his first published book, then 2001: A Space Odyssey to be followed by three more in the series, the Rama series, Sunstorm, and then on. All filled with great vision, adventure, humanity and of course brilliant fantasy. Fantasy that while always probing ultimate possibilities in space exploration and the possible scenarios for encounters with beings from other worlds, was never far removed from plausibility defined by the excellent scientist in him. His short stories ("The Nine Billion Names of God" from 1954 is my all-time favourite) were also written with remarkable skills that engage the mind in challenging the boundaries of possibilities.

"overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out"
from The Nine Billion Names of God

2008-03-14T17:04:00.001-04:00

Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong

Many people say and write many things about Islam nowadays. It is a hot topic, no two ways about it. I wish a great number of other critically important things received this much attention. Still, the reason Islam has suddenly become so relevant is probably that is was relatively unknown (as in 'it does not exist if it does not affect me') to the average person of the west. So when on September 11, 2001 believers of Islam committed unprecedented acts of terror against the United States, people had to suddenly realize how little they knew about the religion that sprang from the Prophet Muhammad's teachings. People started desperately looking for answers, explanations, motivations, or at least some understanding. Karen Armstrong's book attempts to provide the historical perspective for those who wish to have a better understanding of how Islam came into being, it's expansion into a vast empire whose influence has been a determining force shaping world history, politics, religion, and culture. The author also offers a brief summary of Islam's current issues.

I found the book to be highly informative, packed with great content, especially for the pre-20th-century period, written with an engaging style. The reality is that one cannot expect that an introductory-level book of mere 272 pages could possibly cover all aspects of Islam. One has to compromise in one's expectations of what is relevant. Karen Armstrong attempts to focus the reader's attention on facts of history spanning from the early days of Islam. She does not offer value judgment. She sticks to those facts of history that can be and have been well researched and not challengeable from the perspective of current events. This, in my view, is a good thing.

As her other relevant books on related topics (History of God, The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism or The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions), this one is a well-researched, interesting read. One that stays away from the trap of overlaying history with various filters of ideology and political or religious bias.

2008-03-07T10:07:00.003-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow!

We are gearing up to breaking our all-time snowfall record (just over 2 metres) of the 1938/39 winter. This year alone we have received 177 cm of the fluffy stuff. Starting this afternoon another 25 cm is on its way from the sky above. I think we are good shape for the new records considering it's only March 7th, and this month alone is usually responsible for almost a quarter of the snow in a season.

I like snow a lot. Maybe not this much, though.

2008-02-25T10:29:00.003-05:00

Ajax, my love...no more

Well, our less-and-less-beloved mayor Steve Parish has done it again. Openly declaring that it does not matter what the residents of our neighbourhood want. Just like they brought in 10-ton buses into our quiet, narrow residential streets to wake us up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 AM for no passenger at all, and creating traffic and safety hazard when the residents made it abundantly clear that we do not want any of this. Just like they carefully planted silver maples (they grow to 20-30 m tall) right in front our windows when we asked the town not to ruin our beautiful and expensive view of Lake Ontario.

Now they are going to put a 5,000 sq ft building and a parking lot for some 30-50 cars onto a park that we have been enjoying in its original natural state when walking dogs, playing games, gathering for picnics and so on. He and his people at the town hall would not have it. He wants to put this building there with washrooms (I am OK with this one piece of the plan), meeting rooms, bistro and what not. Noise, traffic, environmental damage, loss of greenery, break-ins will follow.

We had a rally yesterday to ensure the town leadership hears our voice. Almost the entire community, over 750 individuals, signed a petition to ask the town leadership to reconsider, and not to put in that monster of a building into our neighbourhood. What is this "leader's" response? That we do not own that land. Ergo, shut up, go home, roll over, and let the big dogs decide. There will be another consultation in March with some modified plans being presented, and then construction will start.

Mr. Parish has just lost 750+ votes. Of course, he may not care. just like he does not care about the residents. He may have had enough of politics, and wants to leave anyway. But if that's the case why did he care to show up at all? For the free cookies?

Any resident who has not signed the Lakeside Park Construction Petition can do so here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ajax123/petition.html

Update:

Please visit the Friends of Lakeside Park site here:
http://web.mac.com/kremu/Friends_of_Lakeside_Park/Welcome.html

2008-02-25T07:58:00.002-05:00

Beautiful lunar eclipse

February brought us record snowfall but also an amazing display of natural beauty, a total lunar eclipse that was observable through clear sky.

2008-02-24T17:58:00.002-05:00

Heretics of Dune by Herbert Frank

I started reading this book with great anticipation (I seem to have developed some sort of an addiction to Frank Herbert's books). It lived up to all my expectations and more. At the same time, it was a disappointment. Let me explain.

The book is one of the best of the Dune series, though it takes effort to go through the first half or so. While it takes the author many chapters to set up for the conclusion (I had to struggle to immerse myself into the spirit of the book), the Heretics of Dune has everything a Dune fan desires: myths and intrigue, tactics and machinations, heroics and love, thoughts behind thoughts behind thoughts (a Herbert trademark), and of course, great story telling.

While going through the first 200 pages or so, I may have just become saturated by the Herbertian style. I must confess having somewhat lost my interest in whether it will be the Bene Gesserit, the Tleilaxu, the Honored Matres or some other yet unnamed force in the universe claiming ultimate victory in shaping mankind's destiny.

But at the conclusion (albeit a bit too abrupt) all comes together. Purpose and means. Collision between choice and predetermined fate. Willpower, determination manage to finally alter the unalterable. Against all odds the heroes are brought together and carry out their mission.

A most ingenious symmetry evolves in this installment of the Dune series. The same but different theme runs through almost every page of the book. Siona and Sheena; Teg and Leto I; Bene Gesserit and Honored Maitres. Every major power and player has a counterpart from the Scattering that shows similar traits but with a twist.

The word 'whore' is used way too often in the book for my taste. Maybe I am getting a bit prudish with the passing of years but I believe there could have been a more fortunate way of expressing the Bene Gesserit's hatred toward their arch enemy.

A cool quote from the book:

There was a man who sat each day looking out through a narrow vertical opening where a single board had been removed from a tall wooden fence. Each day a wild ass of the desert passed outside the fence and across the narrow opening - first the nose, then the head, the forelegs, the long brown back, the hindlegs, and lastly the tail. One day, the man leaped to his feet with the light of discovery in his eyes and he shouted for all who could hear him: "It is obvious! The nose causes the tail!"

2008-02-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

Baby it's cold outside

Yes it was cold outside. And, baby, it was -19 Celsius (-30 if you factor in wind-chill). But nature did not mind. As a matter of fact, it was so beautiful, I could not resist, and had to go down to the lake to inhale more of our good mother nature's freshness. Took some pictures too. Check out the link.

2008-01-22T12:07:00.001-05:00

Mona Lisa - mystery no more

Oh well, yet another mystery bites the dust in this age of desperate demystification. It has been removed from our ever-graying lives that were once filled with enigmas, exciting unknowns that moved our fantasy, and engaged our imagination. Finally, we know who the lady truly was who had such a mesmerizing smile that it inspired one of the greatest geniuses of all time to create such an amazing painting that kept mankind fascinated for centuries. Now we know that the lady's name was Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florence merchant. Funny this took so many years and the interventions of Cicero and German scientists to figure out when in Italy the painting has for hundreds of years has been known as 'La Gioconda'.

Of course, as always, there had to be a secret lover as a suspect subject for the painting, then there was the theory that the lady with the smile was supposedly the master's mother. Better yet, there was a theory the painting was actually a symbolic representation of Leonardo himself. I have seen various desperate attempts at mapping the facial characteristics of Mona Lisa to those of the only surviving self-portrait of Leonardo. The question was also raised why it would be that Mona Lisa, assuming it was Leonardo himself, looks so much like a woman? Now we know. Because the sitter was a woman. But for those proposing the Leonardo = Mona Lisa theory, this was exactly where the magic of symbolism would have to come in. One does not have to give evidence if its a symbol, right? Dan Brown to the rescue! She is hiding the ultimate secret: knowldege of the 'Sang Real'.

Then, there were those who tried some kind of facial proportion analysis to figure out what really was making the famous smile so famous. Various theories of asymmetry emerged. There was also supposed to be some clues in the fact that the lady's eyebrows and eyelashes were missing.

To me the good news is, the smile of Mona Lisa, remains just as fascinating as ever. Above all the puzzlement, amazement and all the petty confusion it has caused.

Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error. (Cicero)

2008-01-10T11:02:00.000-05:00

Ask and It Is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks

For almost two hundred years authors have been writing books about the concept that the focusing thought on prosperity or wellness will bring those desired things into ones life. Some of the most influential such authors from the past century were Charles Haanel (Master Key System from 1912), Prentice Mulford (Thoughts Are Things), Robert Collier (Secret of the Ages), Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Norman Vincent Peale (Power of Positive Thinking), and the more recent Jose Silva (Mind Control Method). The "New Thought" movement, of which the Hickses are also part of, is essentially based on the writings of these individuals along with philosophical influences from Ralph Waldo Emerson, with some remote references to Hinduism.

The book "Ask and It Is Given" by Esther and Jerry Hicks is a brief introduction into the application of the "law of attraction" and the "law of allowing" in our everyday lives. The general concepts and the 22 processes listed are a great tool for transforming one's mind set from one focusing on lack, difficulties and defeat to one centred around prosperity, health and well-being. There is nothing fundamentally new in the message conveyed by this book. It is the authority that Esther Hicks references in her channellings that make this book (and videos and tapes/CDs and seminars and counselling and ...) interesting. It's all supposed to be "blocks of thoughts" downloaded from a group of non-physical beings who call themselves "Abraham" into Esther Hicks translated into English-language communication that makes this interesting.

Some of the core communications that the authors share in this book are that we are physical extension of that which is non-physical; we are here in this body because we chose to be here; the basis of our life is freedom with the purpose of joy; and that we are creators who create with our every thought. Therefore, if we focus our thoughts on the things we want in our lives, those can be manifested.

The Hickses had been two of the most successful proponents of the "law of attraction" before the consciousness-propsperity-wellness market was stormed by an Australian documentary producer's Rhonda Byrne's, movie "The Secret" and her similarly titled book.

Esther and Jerry Hicks wrote a series of wonderful children's books worth reading:
Sara, Book 1: The Foreverness of Friends of a Feather
Sara, Book 2: Solomon's Fine Featherless Friends
Sara, Book 3: A Talking Owl Is Worth a Thousand Words!

2008-01-09T11:47:00.000-05:00

Contacts with your guardian angel (Kontakte mit Deinem Schutzgeist) by Penny McLean

Penny McLean was a popular singer star in the late 70s and early 80s. In her book McLean relates that during the early years of her singing career, which happened to coincide with the dawn of the new age movement, she started to be aware of and able to make contact with her "guardian angel" and other spiritual entities who have shared with her wisdom from the realm of these entities and also some practical knowledge (such as how to fix an automobile or an answering machine). This book relates the story of her journey to experiencing and communicating with these entities.

As I had only the chance of reading a terrible translation of Penny McLean's German original, I cannot make any comment on the literary qualities of her style. Still, one thing is sure. If the translator is responsible only for three quarters of the incorrect grammar and inconsistencies in the book, this book is farily low in the list literary gems.

The first part of the book is an entertaining story about the author's initiation into the world esoteric experiences, the first angelic encounters, "talks" with entities like Rudolf Steiner and the events that helped her become a believer and fierce proponent of the ability of us humans making deliberate contact with the entities of the spiritual domain.

The second part is a much less friendly read about some of the wisdom the author claims to have received from the angelic entities. These are pieces of wisdom that have been floating around for millennia. Unfortunately, not much new is presented here.

On the one hand, the book might offer some entertainment value for those who are not believers of the human-angel dialog. On the other, tt is, however unimpressive, an affirmation for those who are already followers of any of the many branches of the new age movement.

2007-12-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis

There is a saying: only children and drunk people tell the truth. Deborah Ellis, who has written some insightful books about the war in Afghanistan (The Breadwinner, Parvana's Journey, and Mud City) based on interviews with Afghan women of various refugee camps, allows this truth to come to light on the pages of this short book. A very short book, indeed, but with huge impact!

In a set of interviews, Isreali and Palestinian children relate their peronal stories and thoughts on the war that is destroying their lives, tears their families apart, and burns hate and dispair into their innocent souls so deep it will take generations of care, love and forgiveness to heal. Assuming they ever have the chance to experience that care, love and forgiveness ever at all. The book, not for its literary execellence, but for its message is akin to Munch's Scream or Picasso's Guernica. None of these pieces of art is beautiful. None has been made with the artist's care for aesthetics. Rather, each expresses an extremely powerful message about the brutality and bestiality of war and about the utter human dispair in the face of such terror.

There is only one loud and crystal clear message from the stories both the Israeli and the Palestinian children relate. War alienates, drives people into dispair. It does not matter who started, when or why. What matters is that neither side is willing to stop, and it is their own future, their own children are the ones who suffer the most.

This book should be mandatory read in our schools!

"Writing isn't magic. I mean, hell, if I can do it, anybody can do it. Kids can do it. When they write down their stories, it means that people can read them 10 centuries from now and know who we were, and that's a wonderful, wonderful thing. What a blast! We can know what Plato and all those people were thinking back in those days, and generally they weren't thinking anything too terribly more interesting than what we're thinking now. We're thinking the same things and have the same questions", Ellis says in an interview with Dave Jenkinson for the Canadian Review of Materials of the University of Manitoba.

Proceeds from Deborah Ellis' books are donated to charities.

2007-12-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

I wish you and your loved ones a Blessed Christmas!

2007-12-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 9: Barcelona

Never-ending party, amazingly rich architectural heritage. Modernista artists such as Gaudi made such contribution to the city's rich beauty that even though we had a whole week in the city, it was just simply impossible to see all that was worth seeing. Topping the list of our favourite, of course, was the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's masterpiece.

2007-12-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 7: Tangier, Marocco

A day-trip to Marocco was truly a change of culture. Different continent, culture, religion, food, scenery, language... Pretty much everything was different from Spain. The trip was well worth it, though I will probably not do this type of package tour again. There was just too much pushing around by the tour guide, too much of the trade cartell that the operator was in with the local merchants so we were herded into only certain stores that actually marked up prices incredibly for us while pretending to be best deals in town.

I will have to go back to Marocco. Maybe to Tangier as well. But with more time for looking exploring.

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 7. Tangier, Marocco

2007-12-02T11:38:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 6: Gandia

This now relatively small and quiet (by Spanish standards, anyway) town near Valencia was once home to the splendour of the House of Borja (Borgia) family whose fost famous members were Rodriogo the bishop, cardinal, pope (Alexander VI.) and saint, the notorious son and daughter Cesare and Lucrezia known for incest, adultery, murder, and scandal.

I also managed to get an excellent hair cut bz a local barber and a real delicious churros y chocolate.

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 6. Gandia

2007-11-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 5: Malaga

Classic Andalucia, great food, strong wine, and a long walk up the hill to the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro, the upper castle are all most memorable. The view from the Gibralfaro ono the city, the port and the surrounding mountains is truly breathtaking - that is if there is still any breath in one after the countless steps up the hill...

The unfinished cathedral has wonderful, unique feel as well.

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 5. Malaga

2007-11-29T20:28:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 4: Granada

Probably no visit to Andalucia is complete without seeing the Alhambra thus paying homage to the architectural talents, fine craftsmanship and extraordinary sense of beauty of the Moorish builders. The weather was not too friendly to us while in town, but it was no match for the gorgeous elegance of past sultans that was waiting for us in the palace and gardens. We'll remember the walk in the gardens of the Generalife (the architect's garden) and the Albaicin for a very long time yet.

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 4. Granada

2007-11-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 3: Ronda

One of the highlights of our trip to Spain was this small town perched on two sides of the Rio Guadalevin among magnificent mountains. The most noted feature of Ronda is the Puente Nuevo arching over the 120m chasm that the river has cut over the millions of years. One thing we did not go to see close up is Spain's oldest bullfighting ring. We're just no that crazy about that sort of thing.

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 3. Ronda

2007-11-19T16:18:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 2: Benalmádena

A beautiful vacation place on the Mediterranean coast (Costa del Sol) just south of Malaga. Pleasant walks on the shore or along the town's main street, great food in any one of the hundreds of restaurants lining the coast, great swims in the gentle waves of the sea...

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 2. Benalmádena

2007-11-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

Spain 2007 - Part 1

We recently came back from a beautiful vacation in Spain. We have made a LOT of pictures and would like to share some of these.

Here's part 1, which actually are pictures of Philadelphia where we landed on our way to Madrid, and spent a few hours in the city - some of it walking the streets of this city that was once the second largest city of the British Empire. The city is still very proud of its Delaware heritage, and its role in the history of the independent United States (Independence National Historic Park, Independence Bell, William Penn's Landing memorial, Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, etc.) A busy city, and remarkable in many ways, but will not be my favourite. Despite any great Philly Cheese Stake...

Follow this link to the Flickr photoset -> 1. Philadelphia

2007-10-24T11:20:00.000-04:00

Dumbledore was gay?

What interests me is not whether Albus Dumbledore was indeed gay or not. It has little bearing on the story line of the Harry Potter series. No, it's rather the possible reasons Rowlins decided to throw this in for the masses to chew on. She has created a huge and most successful business out the Potter idea (she is richer than the Queen). Any announcement in such a businesses empire is always well calculated for impact. Unless this statement was a true accidental off-the-cuff remark (which I doubt) than I am sure she is paving the way for some other announcements yet. What those might be? No idea. But after years of writing thousands of pages of books around Hogwarts and the world of magic, one cannot just drop the pen and leave the scene in quiet and retire to fishing for the rest of one's life. I expect she is already conceptualizing a new series. Maybe a "Albus Dumbledore and the ..." series. Who knows? However, I get the feeling I will not necessarily read those book. I grew a bit tired by the last volume of the Potter series. Now I need a rest.

2007-09-18T20:51:00.000-04:00

The Eagle has landed

Well, sort of:

2007-09-18T11:57:00.000-04:00

The Universe in a Single Atom by The Dalai Lama

A very readable and thought-provoking book on the Dalai Lama's personal encounters with science and the parallels observable between Buddhist teachings and the discoveries of modern science. The book attempts to bring science and spirituality closer together and to find a possible common ground between the two benefiting all.

In this fascinating book the concept of a 'beginningless universe' is contrasted with the big bang theory, evolution and karma are paralleled, the meaning of 'consciousness' from the respective perspectives of Buddhism and science are compared as well as there is discussion on aspects of ethics and genetics.

In his book, the Dalai Lama pays homage to the those scientists he has come into touch with over the years and acknowledges how fruitful the dialogue he has had with them has been. He also dispels parts of the stereotype of the narrowly rational scientist and talks about the qualities of compassion and empathy he discovered in those scientists he came into contact with.

I am not a Buddhist and did not become a convert as a result of reading this book. This was, of course, not the intention of the Dalai Lama, either. Still, some of the beliefs and philosophies are presented with such power that one is compelled to review thoroughly one's own beliefs and perhaps include some of the relevant truths offered by the author in one's own convictions. No, I am not talking about giving up beliefs. But the way we interpret the world around us should never be solid beyond any possible review. I am convinced that it is possible to include important insights from other traditions without giving up the integrity of our own beliefs.

I particularly sympathize with the Dalai Lama's criticism of 'scientific materialism' that supposes that all human experience can be defined empirically.

2007-09-17T14:54:00.000-04:00

The Healing Power of Water by Masaru Emoto and Jürgen Fliege

After seeing the movie "What the bleep do we know" I had to read this book. I was most fascinated by the subway segment of the movie in which pictures are shown of water crystals of magnificent beauty if a word suggesting love, compassion or other virtue was shown to water, and some ugly cacophony, when the word was suggestive of destruction, violence, or of some other negative influence.

Image of water after "Thank You!"

Well, I thought I need to read the book to know more about this fascinating discovery.

Then I read the book, watched a presentation of Dr. Emoto, and got really thinking. The claim that words shown to water cause the water to change in some way, in my humble opinion, is at least misleading. In this book, and apparently in some other similar ones published by Dr. Emoto, he make the claim that it is the word or image shown to water or rather its vibration that makes the difference in the way water crystals are forming. I bag to differ in my interpretation.

I do not dispute that there may be a difference in the shape or size of the crystals before and after the act during which a "scientist" show the word or image to the glass of water. Where I rather differ, though, is how this phenomenon should be interpreted, especially, that independent blind studies have not once confirmed Dr. Emoto's findings. by the way, just because no independent study confirms one's findings does not make them automatically invalid in my world.

So, here's my theory: It is not the written word or the image that make the water change. It is the person, the observer who has the influence. It is their mindset and expectations, their emission of energy of various frequencies that can have impact on the water to produce such amazing beauty of scary disarray. I do strongly believe in the power of one's mind to transform ourselves and through this act, the world we perceive. Therefore, the way I understand the world, it is perfectly acceptable that the observer's mind, that has a very strong distinction between such words as health and illness, happiness and misery, or forgiveness and revenge, that also has the ability to resonate with the concepts these words stand for, and project this very same frequency into the subject of the experiment, the glass of water.

I think it is even more exciting to follow what comes if we allow it to be the observer's mind that makes the change in the water crystals. This means there is yet another evidence how incredibly capable our mind is and what everything it can achieve if it is applied to it.

2007-09-06T12:24:00.000-04:00

Pavarotti

He was my favourite operatic tenor. His brilliantly colourful voice (I have always strongly resonated to his performances of Nessun dorma), his passion, willingness to embrace other musical genres, boundless cheerfulness, and dedication to helping anyone he could, are but a few characteristics that make him an artist I will miss dearly.

Farewell!

2007-08-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

Total lunar eclipse

Last night a magnificent total lunar eclipse was visible from Toronto. A picture of the event from truffes' photostream:

2007-08-07T14:29:00.000-04:00

Samples from my mineral collection

Here is a link to a few samples I have in my mineral collection from recent trips to Bancroft, Ontario. -> follow me

2007-08-02T09:34:00.000-04:00

Fence upgrade

Finally, I got to completing a job that has been waiting for quite a while. We wanted to put a bit of interest into our plain'n'borin' fence gate. Also, the wind will able to go through it freely allowing for less stress on the hinges and lock severe weather. Here it is:

2007-07-31T14:15:00.000-04:00

Quirky creatures of the deep

"An octopus with ears like an elephant? Scallops that hang like bats? Yup, they're real and they live off the East Coast." begins the artical published by CBC News. A discovery of exciting, previously unknown species off Canada's east coast includes an octopus with fins near its eyes, "single-cell organism about the size of a grapefruit", "yellow and pink bubblegum-coloured coral" and "orange scallops hanging from underwater cliffs" among other things.

2007-07-31T12:34:00.000-04:00

Caroline Myss - The Language of Archetypes (Discover the Forces That Shape Your Destiny)

A good friend recommended this set of 10 CDs by Caroline Myss, "Medical Intuitive" giving lecture on the power of archetypes. I happily jumped into listening to the program since I am very much interested in human behaviour, its motivations, intrinsic or environmental determinants. Well, I was treated to somewhat of a cold shower.

Caroline Myss basically provides a who's who of character and situation archetypes discovered by others, mixed with some overstated obvious truths and a touch of ego trip.

If one has never heard or read about the world of archetypes before, it may not be a wasted time listening to these CDs. One can get a catalog of named archetypes with some (mostly "intuitive") explanation around them. For the most part the "shadow side" discussion of the various archetypes can be interesting as it brings in some reference to excessive or misdirected application of the archetypes.

There a few issues with the way she presents what she has to say on the subject. Number one is the treatment of the subject not as a speculation now widely accepted or a study based on empirical analysis of human behaviour, but a set of hard-core facts cast into humans by some external force, that for the most part the human does not really have a lot of direct control over. My usual beef is that there are all too many schools of thought helping people avoid any responsibility in their own actions. This is another one. If the "good Samaritan" archetype is not in me, then why should it be not OK for me not to help a person who is desperate need?! I just can't help it...it's not in me...

To her archetypes are not generic versions of a personality, which they are to me, but strict classes into which humans belong whether they like it or not. In Myss' view archetypes evolve within us not giving much thought to their hosts, as it were, rather than our life going through changes for various internal or external reasons, and consequently our personality changing to accommodate or to resist such changes.

There is no such thing as straight talk for her. Repeatedly she makes claims that anyone saying anything to her or others is really nothing but a charade for various archetypal intentions that are rather different from the actual words spoken. But she, obviously, reads very clearly amongst these, and truth is never hidden from her while others would have no clue about such things. True, there are covert motives in a number of things people say. Still, I find this a touch too arrogant that hardly anything people say should be taken as is but always a clairvoyant has to interpret true meaning. Just does not work for me.

Caroline Myss' declaration that "I don't do kids...I can't stand them around me..." was a turn-off for me as well. It has nothing to do with the merits of the program. It just says something about the person.

Intolerant references to new age and organized religion of any kind (most notable anything to do with Christianity is a bad do) are also abundant. The one about new age is actually a bit kinky since she actually is preaching some of the same things that define new age... Hmm.

Finally, no reference to where she got her material. Perhaps some credit to the works of C. G. Jung and other pioneers of the field who actually defined such archetypes as The Shadow, Anima/Animus, The Divine Couple (Syzygy), The Child, etc. or even classic authors such as Plato for his theory of ideas would have been appropriate.

2007-07-25T20:08:00.000-04:00

Curiousity...

2007-07-13T12:09:00.000-04:00

Some of the finds from Bancroft

Finally I got around to taking pictures of at least some of the minerals we brought back from Bancroft. More to follow...

A huge rose quartz specimen:

Microline crystal (6" x 2") - some amazonite mixed in:

Fluorapatite from Bear Lake (3.5" x 1.5"):

Microline (amazonite):

Beautiful dark blue Sodalite:

Another feldspar crystal (3"):

2007-07-13T11:59:00.000-04:00

A day at the ROM

We visited the Royal Ontario Museum. This was our first visit there since the reconstruction began to give it new "crystl" face. Some of my favourite exhibitions (such as the gems and minerals) are still closed but one cannot wait forever... I will have to go back in December to see those.

2007-07-03T14:33:00.000-04:00

The Wisdom of Your Cells by Bruce H. Lipton

Another exciting audiobook presentation that I had the chance to listen to while driving to and from work. This one is from cellular biologist and author Dr. Bruce H. Lipton.

The Wisdom of Your Cells: How Your Beliefs Control Your Biology is about an increasingly popular theory that I have been long an advocate of: our conscious and subconscious thoughts, and beliefs control how our body responds to environmental inputs.

Through Dr. Lipton's engaging explanations the cell membrane gains new dimensions. It becomes the great coordinator of our cell-level perceptions (the way external stimuli are being received and responded to) via the mechanisms of receptor and respondent proteins. We get a quick tour of cellular biology, history and some out-of-context criticism on church and religion.

The main point the author makes is that we are not the victims of our genes as current media would like us to believe. Genes do not control our lives. We do! Genes are "simply" providing options and possibilities rather than predetermined responses. It is the cell membrane that, through sophisticated interactions, will cause the genes to perform what they are meant to do: provide blueprints for production of those particular proteins that are required to carry out certain tasks. On a human level, again, it is our brain/mind that is the governor of which of the many possible responses to things that happen to us we should manifest, not our inherent genes.

This position is in stark contrast to the current trend that humans are nothing but toys in the "hands" of all-powerful external factors such as genetic inheritance. Free will, reason and decision are but whims of poets and philosophers. Anyone committing crime is just another victim... Don't even get me going on this topic.

I found the discussion on prenatal and early childhood development very enlightening. I new about children's ability to respond to stimuli in ways derivable from their parents' behaviour even from before birth. Dr. Lipton puts forward a very plausible and acceptable explanation. In his view the mother and the to-be-born baby share an information stream, the bloodstream carried through the placenta that provides a "direct download" of knowledge and behaviour patterns into the child. Also, during the first few years of the child's development, by observing the parents' reactions children will again "download" enormous amounts of information, good and bad, about the world around them.

Now I have to say something on the negative side as well.

Dr. Lipton's discussion of quantum mechanics is not entirely satisfactory. It involves a great deal of oversimplification. For instance, I cannot quite support his jump from the realm of subatomic particles to which the quantum mechanics theories he references apply to the realm of the conscious human without a reasonable transition. I do agree there is connection, but I do not agree with his assertion that there is an equivalence between the quantum interference of wavefunctions and a person's emotional response to the "good vibes" or "bad vibes" in a room full of people.

Also, the discussion of the Newtonian physics is distorted. Dr. Lipton brushes classical mechanics (deterministic laws describing the motion of macroscopic objects) aside as completely irrelevant on the premise that quantum mechanics has done away with all things non-relativistic or not probability based. He does not care to state that classical mechanics is still very much valid in the realm of everyday proportions. It still is the norm by which human-scale world operates. True, extremes of physics (subatomic particles, singularities, etc.) follow different laws. But one should try to operate a shower in the morning without considering classical mechanics.

2007-07-01T18:29:00.000-04:00

A trip to the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market

Although the trip did not quite work out the way originally planned (it was Sunday, so the real Mennonite market, open only on Saturday, was closed), we still had a wonderful time.

Did some shopping at the Sunday Market - obviously locals recognized the business potential in those tourists who cannot tell Saturday from Sunday. Then headed into St. Jacobs town where we spent a few fantastic hours walking the streets. Once we thought it was time to move on, we did not head back home directly but did a detour via Elora.

The Elora Gorge is truly beautiful. What is less beautiful is that if you just want to see the gorge without wanting to spend a day for picnic, you still have to pay $4 per adult to get into the provincial park :( Also, there was a huge multitude of people making the experience less then ideal for getting in touch with nature's miracle.

2007-07-01T17:57:00.001-04:00

Martial Arts Demonstration

Finally, after long wait I have a few pictures from the public demonstration that our school, Energy Martial Arts Academy held recently.

2007-05-25T11:08:00.001-04:00

A trip to the Rose Quartz Pit!

Last weekend we decided to give in to our urges of the rock hounds within us and headed north to Quadeville, Lyndoch Township, about an hour drive from Bancroft.

The weather was perfect for us: sunny but not too hot, with some breeze to keep bugs away for most of the day (they actually managed to launch one major campaign against us during the whole day).

The owners of the Rose Quartz Pit, Dick and Heather, stayed with us for most of the day, gave us a lot of background about the formation of this magnificent geological spectacle, and they were so generous, they even guided us to their other site the Beryl Pit to see if we could find some other interesting mineral specimens.

In the Rose Quartz Pit we found gorgeous rose quartz specimens. I ended up bringing a beautiful piece home that weighed almost 50 pounds. There were also some nice beryl (goshenite) and smoky quartz specimens that we were able to hammer-and-chisel out. Some of the rarer minerals found were: samarskite, magnetite

In the Beryl Pit we found some additional but not as intact beryl (goshenite), nice black tourmaline, albite (cleavelandite) and small purple fluorite specimens.

2007-05-25T10:25:00.000-04:00

Belated Easter!

Our Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) finally decided it was time to bring flowers. We've had this plant for a few years and every year it rewards us with these spectacular flowers.

2007-04-09T16:19:00.000-04:00

The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda

"A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance. Going to knowledge or going to war in any other manner is a mistake, and whoever makes it will live to regret his steps."
"When a man has fulfilled those four requisites there are no mistakes for which he will have to account; under such conditions his acts lose the blundering quality of a fool's acts. If such a man fails, or suffers a defeat, he will have lost only a battle, and there will be no pitiful regrets over that."

These are the words with which Carlos Castaneda opens his controversial book. From here, the reader is lead into an amazing new world, that of Don Juan Matus, the Yaqui Indian shaman. This world is filled with mystery, exploration, confusion and discovery. And with incredible psychedelic journeys affected by the hallucinogens contained in the peyote (a cactus local to Mexico, a.k.a. Lophophora williamsii - don't even try finding it at Canadian flower shops). And all this written before the cultural-religious-spiritual study before the hippy movement, Timothy Leary, or the Merry Pranksters!

Castaneda, during his course of study with don Juan Matus, Yaqui 'man of knowledge', learned to move into a non-ordinary reality, and experience not only magical events (he claims to have flown and grown a beak, among other things), but also that the ways of knowledge and power are difficult and dangerous.

Evidently, Castaneda has given a good deal of ammunition to the skeptics by stating during interviews that he would give false information about himself. This may have been simply a way for him to remind us Westerners that our methodologies are not the only way to know, and that one must look beneath the words and convenient "facts" to find the truth. The foreword declares that this book is both ethnography and allegory. The part of the allegory that is perhaps most exciting is the tension between Western science and other ways of knowing. Castaneda came to don Juan, proud and arrogant, and learned from him a healthy amount of humility and respect.

One of the lessons that Castaneda learns is the difference between a "power" and an "ally." Most individuals can become sorcerers by using a power, but to gain an ally, which is much more potent, one must work with the forces of nature, and learn the ways of real knowledge, following only the way of the heart (a thought also surfacing in the my previous review of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist). It is of prime importance for the planet that all follow the way that has heart, turning toward the universe with respect. As it stands, most of us treat the earth as a natural resource only, to be exploited and discarded once used. Such actions and attitudes may give one temporary power, but at enormous expense to oneself and one's habitat.

Time and again, Don Juan's lessons remind us that we are not as powerful as we think. His lessons lead Castaneda into situations in which the anthropologist acts like a fool: rolling around on the ground for hours; playing with and actuing like a dog; clapping his thighs and assuming a "fighting form" for hours to regain his lost soul. These actions are apparently integral parts of Yaqui culture, but to Westerners they look foolish when performed by a supposedly "enlightened" and "objective" student of anthropology. Castaneda, in his search for power, must become, at least for a while, a fool. Dignity is a small price to pay for Don Juan's reminder that we are out of balance with the universe.

This book, though not among the greatest of literary achievement, is nonetheless recommended for those interested in counterculture movements of the 1960s to the present, mysticism, philosophical discussions of reality, drugs, and native American anthropology. In the larger sense, its lessons are of value for all Westerners: it is a subtle reminder of our temporary place in the universe, and of the costs of the way of power and knowledge.

2007-04-02T11:03:00.000-04:00

A day at the Gardiner

My wife, a very good friend and I spent yesterday at Toronto's Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. We were planning to view their new special exhibition, On the Table (100 Years of Functional Ceramics in Canada). Though there were some interesting pieces among the contemporary artists' works, none really attracted me as much as the functional while magnificently decorated ancient pottery from Mexico and Central and South America produced centuries, perhaps thousands of years ago by the proud cultures of the Aztecs, Toltecs, Mayas and Incas.

2007-03-23T18:43:00.000-04:00

Kodo and the magic of taiko

I have been in love with the taiko since I saw the Toronto-based group Yakudo play at the Japanese Canadian Culture Centre. Since that I have always wanted to hear the world's best.

Last night my wife and I had finally the pleasure of seeing, hearing and feeling one of the world's foremost taiko (Japanese drum) groups, Kodo perform live at Toronto's Massey Hall. This was an unforgettable experience! The amazing precision of the players, their total focus on both their own instrument as well as on their fellow group members' play, the exciting variety of compositions, and the enormous amount of energy released, all collaborated to produce something truly magical.

The Kodo show did not present taiko only but a great number of other Japanese instruments (fue, shamisen, etc.) and beautiful songs as well.

The occasional humour let people's mind and sould ease up a little from all the vibrations that made our bodies (certainly mine) resonate to the beat of the great taiko.

Some say the vibrations of the great taiko resemble the heartbeat (one meaning of Kodo, the group's name) of the mother, and make babies fall asleap. Well, there was an amazingly well-behaved little boy in the row in front of us, who, after being initially startled by all the noise of the drums, started to become somewhat restless. Clearly, the show was getting too long for him. However, as the great taiko began roaring, he started to quiet down, eventually almost fell asleep as well.

One thing is for certain. Once you hear the sound of the great taiko, not much else will have room in your body and soul. Its thunderous sound has a cleansing effect. It purifies by not letting anything else in. Its vibrations inside the body cause something akin to a meditative state where one exists in a beautiful world of harmony and rythm.

Something everyone must experience!

2007-03-11T16:57:00.000-04:00

The Sibling Society by Robert Bly

In this truly thought-provoking book the author reflects on the reality of our current society having lost its bearings (traditionally based in the moral absolutes of religion) in that it encourages people to not grow up and become adult members of a structured society. Rather, our present culture makes it clearly more attractive for its members to stay turned-inward, selfish and reckless adolescents for life.

Rather than simply acknowledging this phenomenon, Bly goes on and asks: "How did we move from the optimistic, companionable, food-passing youngsters gathered on that field at Woodstock to the self-doubting, dark-hearted, turned-in, death-praising, indifferent, wised-up, deconstructionist audience that now attends a grunge-music concert?" He interrogates reason. But there is no clear answer to this question nor is an easy answer as to possible solutions.

Bly, who is also known as "the man man" for his efforts at helping men rediscover what he calls the "mythopoetic" roots of masculinity through reenactments of various primitive male-group initiation and similar rituals, attempts, through fables and fairy tales, to map out when and how the transition occurred from a paternalistic society into the current society of father- and motherless siblings. In the "sibling society" boys do not struggle against their fathers any more, there is no more oedipal love between mother and son, or father and daughter. Rather, the horizontal (flattened) family model, from which the classic moral values have been removed, advocates to its young to look at fame as the only value proposition. "If you are not famous, you failed in life" - is the new creed.

Unfortunately, Bly offers no clear way out. He is too involved in putting his thoughts into a socio-scientific poem. His valid alarm, that our culture is in for a very rude awakening if we do not get our fathers and mothers back into the family, comes with some rather confusing commentaries on topics such as "vertical thought" or the psychoanalysis of "Jack and the Beanstalk" story and the Hindu myth of Ganesha, the lord of beginnings and eliminator of obstacles.

I would have liked to read about ideas moving us forward. Maybe it is a shortcoming I have developed through my work, but I do prefer solutions, however immature, over statements of problems and difficulties, however precisely presented.

Rating: 3 out of 5

2007-03-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

Canadian Bead Oasis Show

We visited our friend Vera at the Oasis Bead Show in Toronto's downtown. Although I am not really into beads, I was happy to find some amazing handcrafted beauty. Magnificent artwork from Tibet. Of course, there is now also the inevitable mass-produced cheap junk that may eventually kill the real artist's ability to make decent living.

2007-02-11T18:37:00.000-05:00

Canada is beautiful in the Winter as well

I took these pictures yesterday after I chanced upon a section of the Ajax shoreline that I usually do not visit in the Winter. I did not have my camera with me but had a mobile phone that had some minimalistic photo taking capability. Here are some of the results.

2007-02-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker

Now that I am working for Toyota again, I feel very much compelled to finally read the book that sums up what has made this company the greates manufacturing company of the world.

Of the 14 principles, the elimination of muda (waste) through the process of continuous improvement - kaizen - is the one that struck the strongest cord with me.

The eight types of muda are:

1. Overproduction

2. Waiting

3. Unnecessary transport

4. Overprocessing

5. Excess inventory

6. Unnecessary movement

7. Defects

8. Unused employee creativity

Highly informative while thoroughly enjoyable read!

2007-01-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

Winter in Hungary

Just a few pictures that were taken in the Hungarian countryside last time I was there.

2006-12-30T14:37:00.000-05:00

The Uncommon Touch by Tom Harpur

After reading some of Tom Harpur's other books (The Pagan Christ, Prayer, Life After Death, Finding the Still Point - A Spiritual Response to Stress and The God Question), I plunged into the The Uncommon Touch with great anticipation. I have long been interested in the spiritual aspects of healing - be it powered by the individual's faith or by external intervention by a healer person or by some invisible force that the healing is attributed to. I must immediately admit, I am not the ideal unbiased observer in this area as I do firmly believe in the ability of people to have significant influence on their own and others' recovery from physical, mental, spiritual or emotional trauma.

The Uncommon Touch is an expertly organized, well-balanced examination of the phenomenon of spiritual healing. Tom Harpur, a prolific Canadian spiritual author, journalist and TV host, first attacks some familiar stereotypes: TV evangelists who exhibit faith healing are mostly charlatans. Harpur's premise is that spiritual healing is an enabling and powerful ally, rather than an opposition to conventional medicine; and spiritual healing includes all those patients as well who "simply" believe they will get the cure, and do, as opposed to those individuals who give up all hope and die. Harpur cites abundant testimony on historical figures such as Godfrey Mowatt (the famous "blind healer"). He then references the work of Wilhelm Reich, an Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and student of Freud who postulated "orgone energy." Orgone energy is a massless universal life force that is, perhaps, tapped into through the laying on of hands. (The Star Wars series' references to the "Force" may also have its origin in the concept of Orgone energy.) Harpur gives also an account of the Canadian biologist Bernard Grad's attempt to measure orgone energy in the laying on of hands of a contemporary healer, Oskar Estebany, with double-blind experiments involving mice. Wounded mice that Estebany had handled recovered more rapidly than the control group. There's also discussion in the book on what one might call the "positive thinking" aspect of prayer. Welcome evidence for those inclined to embrace it.

Seven Principles of Cosmic Spirituality (from Tom Harpur's own web site):

The entire cosmos is the manifestation of Divine Mind-every molecule, every cell, every creature, every rock, tree, mountain, planet, blazing star, whirling galaxy and universe of galaxies.
We are all an integral, interconnected part of the whole cosmos and our own inner world is a holograph of the cosmos within us.
One basic datum underlies every religion under the sun, the principle of Incarnation. The Word or Logos, God's self-expression made manifest, has given the light of its divine spark to every mind/soul coming into the world. Christians call this the Christ or "Christ in us." Other faiths have different names or modes of expression for this same inner reality.
Every religion whose ethical core is summed up by the word "compassion" or "loving-kindness" to all other creatures without exception has a vision of the truth and is a valid "way" to Transcendence.
No one faith or religion-whatever its claims may be, alone has The Truth.
True cosmic spirituality is steeped in, flows from, and derives its most powerful analogies and metaphors from the natural world -- from the tiniest bit of dust to the spiraling stars above.
The core aim of cosmic spirituality is radical transformation, both personal and societal.

2006-12-24T13:08:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

I wish you and your loved ones a Blessed Christmas!

2006-12-24T00:18:00.000-05:00

It's a small world

Yes, indeed. My wife's nephew spent a few months with us earlier this year. We initiated him into the world of martial arts by signing him up for a month at the Academy we attend. Upon returning to Hungary, he signed up for some Karate classes at the dojo nearest to where he lives. Now I just learned, the chief instructor of his art Shito ryu in Central Europe (Zsolt Szénási) and I were classmates!

2006-12-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

A new laundry room

I have recreated our laundry room into my wife's pottery supplies storage and work area. She loves it. So do I. The room has been ready for a while I just never got to making a picture of the final product. Here it is now...

2006-11-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

All You Need Is Mozart!

According to various music therapy researchers, the number one composer whose works have been most frequently "prescribed" is, not at all surprisingly, Mozart. What is perhaps interesting though is the wide range of healing properties (for a variety of neurological diseases and brain function enhancements) Mozart's music is supposed to have. Don't take me wrong, I love Mozart's music, and can listen to it almost any time. I have myself, on a great number of occasions felt his music revitalize me, relax my busy mind, or helped me meditate and fill me with positive energy.

There is even some scientific evidence that there is something really special (and spatial) about Mozart. The "Mozart effect" as it became to be known, first came to light in a 1993 paper in Nature, when neuroscientist Fran Rauscher showed that college students who listened to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major for 10 minutes performed better on a spatial reasoning test than students who listened to some new age music or nothing at all. (Interestingly, there were numerous attempts to replicate the original results but mostly without success. These resulted in a series of authors dismissing the "Mozart effect" as mere hoax or as a self-propelling reflection of a "deeply-rooted but generally unspoken human impulse, to 'get something for nothing'" as Norman Weinberger puts it.)

The term "Mozart effect" was coined by Dr. Alfred Tomatis for the alleged increase in brain development that occurs in children under age 3 when they listen to the music of Mozart. He (and Mozart) even helped French actor Gerard Depardieu to transform a young delinquent and wanderer into a leading actor capable of such performances as his Cyrano or Bernard Granger in Truffaut's Le Dernier métro.

"Before Tomatis," Depardieu says, looking back, "I could not complete any of my sentences. He helped give continuity to my thoughts, and he gave me the power to synthesize and understand what I was thinking."

So, if it helped Depardieu, I might as well use its benefits, too. In order to test the claims, I am going to recreate one of the chart breaker Mozart Effect CDs with the following main features from my own CD collection:

For Intelligence & Learning
1. Allegro, Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major, K. 216
2. Allegro, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Major, K. 107
3. Rondo-Allegretto grazioso, Sonata in F Major for Violin and Piano, K. 376
4. Rondo-Allegro, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik in D Major, K. 525
5. Andante grazioso, London Night Music No. 1, K. 247
6. Molto Allegro, Symphony #14 in A Major, K. 114
7. Presto, Divertimento in D Major, K. 136
8. Allegro, Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218
9. Church Sonata in C Major, K. 336

2006-11-13T10:10:00.000-05:00

Maszat

Our late dog, Maszat came into my mind this morning.

2006-11-02T10:59:00.000-05:00

Fly little white dove, fly

I recently discovered a musical treasure that just makes simple-sweet melodies continually buzz in my mind causing me to hum even in moments others may not find all that appropriate for humming. This treasure's name is 'The Bells', a Canadian band that was formed in Montreal in the same year I was born on the old continent. My newest favourite is their hit song from 1970, Fly little white dove, fly.

When we're stuck in troubled days
We must learn to love each other
Instead of going different ways
We must try to get together

Chorus:
Fly little white dove, fly, way up high
Spread your wings, sing out your cry
'Cross the universal sky

If we love the Human race
Peace should be your aspiration
Let’s make this a better place
Spread the word to every nation

[Chorus]

When a simple word is spoken
It should be our guiding light
If vows for peace are never broken
Then the whole world will unite

[Chorus]
(repeat until fade)

2006-11-02T08:56:00.000-05:00

Soul of the Samurai

"In all things, uncertainty exists because of not knowing. Being doubtful, those stay in your mind. When the principle is clarified, nothing stays on your mind. This is called consummating knowledge and perfecting things. Once there is nothing on your mind, everything becomes easy to do."

from Martial Arts: The Book of Family Traditions by Yagyu Munemori

2006-08-29T09:33:00.000-04:00

Firewalking

Finally, a couple of pictures from the firewalking event I participated in a while ago (see my earlier entry). I feel I want to repeat the experience.

2006-07-17T16:53:00.000-04:00

"For tyrannosaurs - love was a dangerous game"

Being a dinosaur has always had its drawbacks. The most prominent being early extinction, of course. And now here's this one about dying prematurely due to sex among all things!

As US and Canadian researchers have published it in Science, under the cryptic title of "Tyrannosaur Life Tables: An Example of Nonavian Dinosaur Population Biology", tyrannosaurs had trouble coping with midlife crisis. With their overaggressive lifestyle (rivalry for mates, constant abuse of lesser species, and the mandatory abuse socially aware father T-Rexes had to expose their child dinos to), excessive eating, and the occasional over-fasting while nesting all are among the causes of an increase in the mortality rate among those tyrannosaurs that enter the age of sexual maturity. So, when life finally becomes really interesting, you die.

"For tyrannosaurs - love was a dangerous game" states Gregory Erickson, "death awaited those entering the breeding population".

My contribution to today's science will be an extension of Erickson's statement: Love is a dangerous game. Period. No exception to this rule, no matter how idealized a view one holds about love. It sure bears a great deal of danger for all "those entering the breeding population". Just think about the black widow spider or the praying mantis from the animal kingdom. We have examples in great abundance among humans as well: Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, Helen of Troy and Brad Pitt, or the Adam-Serpent-Eve triangle, for that matter.

For a summary of the article, go to:
http://bio.fsu.edu/~gerick/sciencemag/
Full article can be accessed at:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/313/5784/213

2006-07-03T17:10:00.000-04:00

My roses in bloom

Charisma:

Golden showers:

Lavaglow:

Princess Margaret

2006-07-03T16:48:00.000-04:00

Judo with Words: An Intelligent Way to Counter Verbal Attacks by Barbara Berckhan

Verbal attacks can cause injuries the same way physical attacks do, only without visible scars. Many of us are so dumbstruck when verbal attacks occur that we do not even find words to express our emotions. Only significantly later, when the attacker has already moved on to other, equally unsuspecting and vulnerable prey, can we recompose ourselves and find some of the words we could have or should have said. Others of us retaliate immediately thus entering the classic viscous spiral of escalating the conflict possibly even to the level of physical conflict.

As a student of Aikido (the classic non-resistant martial art) and other martial arts, I can fully appreciate what this little book can do for people who want to be better prepared in such situations. In this unassuming book (180 pages with minimalistic illustrations), Barbara Berckhan presents 12 basic tactics one can use in our everyday life when we find ourselves in a verbal attack situation. The book promises the reader to acquire self defense techniques to intelligently recognize the best way to stay out of a potentially escalating conflict, deflect and diffuse an obviously malevolent attack, or to stop a behaviour that if unchecked can resurface in increasingly hostile forms.

Even though the book will probably never earn its author the fame of being the most refined writer of the century (lots of vague statements and repetitions of trivialities), I still recommend it for those wishing to icrease their self confidence when attacked verbally. Some techniques may be a bit difficult to apply due to oversimplification.

2006-06-15T12:57:00.000-04:00

People do mellow with age

"Elderly people may be better at perceiving happiness and worse at perceiving fear" suggests the New Scientist based on a study by Leanne Williams and colleagues (Westmead Hospital in New South Wales, Australia). The researchers asked the study subjects to view pictures of people showing various facial expressions ranging from fear to happiness and from anger to disgust and sadness. Why exactly this is still largely unknown but it was found that older people more accurately recognized happy expressions while younger subjects were better at spotting fearful expressions.

My layman explanation is that in the societies of our ancestors it was typically the role of the younger people to participate in activities directly related to the survival of the community (hunting, fighting off invasions, etc.) in which recognition of such expression as aggression or fear could substantially contribute to the success of such expeditions.

Whichever way it is, I sure am looking forward to mellowing and recognizing only happy faces around me.

2006-06-12T11:18:00.001-04:00

The Da Vinci Code - my 2 cents

There. Finally I saw it too. I managed to avoid the initial suicidal rush so as to experience the movie without lineup or being stuck in the last row next to the snoring virtual technician and young couples desperate for some privacy whatever the show. The movie brought some ambivalent feelings to me.

The fuss. This movie is a good fast-pace thriller based on a vague speculation, namely that Jesus sired a bloodline, which itself is based on some other people's vague speculations (lawsuit pending despite judge Smith's cryptic verdict). Many people are up in arms about the movie and the book from which it was made as they supposedly attack faith and are heretic. Some countries even banned the movie from showing. Makes for great publicity.

Let me add my two cents worth to the plethora of opinions on the subject. This movie and the book are fiction, not statements of doctrine or historical facts, even if presented in that fashion. (I am not even sure I'd turn to Dan Brown or Ron Howard for enlightenment on any contentious topic of Christian doctrine or unbiased accounts of medieval history, anyway.) Still, a great number of people take it that way. I believe one does not go to the books of Poe, Doyle, Christie, Carr, Queen, Simenone, or Grisham for historical facts or theological truths but for some light entertainment and a good thrill. Dan Brown, a talented writer of some excellent suspense-thrillers (Deception Point, Digital Fortress) is simply riding the now popular anti-catholic, antichurch, anti-institutionalized-religion, anti-whatever media wave. Bluntly stated, he simply wants to sell his books. And he's doing a darn good job at it, too (40 million copies worldwide and counting).

Let's not confuse the ambitions of an author of conspiracy thrillers with the truths of one's belief. Faith is a transpersonal relationship with God or a higher power. It is an internalized hope about something awaiting us all after our deaths, and a realization of this conviction into the conduct of our daily lives. Faith is based in thousands of years of tradition and the teachings of enlightened individuals whose minds and charisma shine through countless generations. Faith is well beyond the reach of a thriller, however well written it might be.

Acting. I am sorry to report that the best acting was not exhibited by Tom Hanks (Langdon) or Audrey Tautou (Neveu). Not even by Jean Reno (Fache). But by Ian McKellen (Teabing) and Paul Bettany (Silas). No sparks are flying between Langdon and the beautiful Neveu. It appears Dab Brown has some issues with describing one of humankind's most natural phenomena, the falling in love of a man and a woman. Fache is overtormented and overacted. Teabing, however, is excellent. Shows the joviality and the deep obsession leading to horror expected based on the book's character. Silas, though I find the director is overemphasizing the role of self flagellation, is portrayed magnificently.

Directing I very much wanted to see what Ron Howard did with the story that I quite enjoyed reading. Well, he followed the story fairly closely (to the extent possible within the confines of a two-hour movie) but this ended up in a film with so much dialogue that if you didn't read the book, would be hell boring. This indeed was the case for my wife who confessed having hard time to keep her eyes open at some points during the movie.

2006-06-03T12:45:00.000-04:00

Our garden

Here are some recent pictures from our garden. Of course, the one with the Rhododendron is a tad older than the others. The plants all appear to be enormously excited about the arrival of the Summer and want the world know just how beautiful they are. And I tend to agree with them.

2006-06-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

Brown belt

Brown belts have been handed out to me, my wife and a few of our friends at the Energy Martial Arts Academy. This is great joy we all have worked very hard for this. Of course, we also know this is not the arrival at any desination, simply a marking of where we are on our journey to bettering ourselves and bringing strength, piece and harmony to our lives and those we interact with.

2006-05-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

"Like a rolling stone..."

His Bobness (a.k.a. Bob Dylan [born Robert Allen Zimmerman]) is 65. Bob Dylan's 65th birthday celebration at Toronto's Hugh's Room will feature The Dylan Tree, a very cool band formed of four really fine Toronto musicians I heard this morning on Breakfast Television. I am very much looking forward to seeing them live!

http://www.hughsroom.com/

2006-05-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

Firewalking

A good friend of mine invited me to a firewalking event over the weekend. This was his first time as well, so neither of us knew much about what to expect or what firewalking is all about, anyway. I was mostly driven by curiosity and a desire to walk the fire as another way of defeating my own fear of things unknown.

I was quite surprised when the instructor lead our preparation not into the direction of what or how we will be doing but toward us defining intentions we can very strongly identify with and visualize to a degree that it becomes an irresistible force toward action to make our intentions manifest externally. It is exactly the power of this intention that allows the mind to get distracted from the glowing coal (1200-1600 F) under one's feet. It's not really the heat of the coal one has to conquer. Rather it is the fear of it. We have individually been taught for decades to stay away from fire. As humankind, we have trained ourselves to keep away from the flames for millions of years. An extremely strong instinct has been, as it were, burnt into us all. And for a very good reason, too.

Firewalking has become to me the freeing of oneself from this very specific fear, and about braving a powerful instinct. But the real goal, I find, is not within conquering one's fear of walking a few steps across hot coal, though that can be a serious challenge itself. It is rather far beyond this single incident. It is in finding the ability to free ourselves from self-limiting beliefs that, like towering obstacles, block us from reaching the goals and ambitions we want to realize in our lives.

It's what awaits you on the other side is what makes this experience so amazing and powerful. It does not matter whether you know anything about the heat conductivity properties of the skin on the sole of your feet. It also has no relevance how long you wait before starting your walk. The magic lies in the ability and willingness to believe, against our instinct, that we can do it! That we have the capability to open up to the possibilities beyond those of our ordinary lives. It is one step on a journey to becoming extraordinary.

(I have yet to receive pictures taken by others so I can show myself walking the fire.)

2006-05-16T22:45:00.000-04:00

Two pictures I took at my recent trip to Hungary. There are plenty more. I just have to make time to publish them in a fashion befitting the beauty of that country.

2006-04-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

Book review -- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

My most recent expedition into the realm of fiction was the reading of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A friend of ours lent it to my wife, and of course, if there is a book lying around, I have to pick it up and read it. This time, my spending the time on this fairly short novel paid off handsomely.

This is a book one could perhaps compare to The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupèry . The richness of their story telling while keeping the language simple, the imagery, the clear lessons given, the heavy emphasis on finding one's true treasure, and listening with one's heart are all common themes between these two beautiful books.

The story itself is as follows (not to worry, I will not give away enough of the story for anyone to think there is no more need to read the real book): Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. He leaves Spain to literally follow his dream, and along the way he meets many spiritual messengers. Santiago learns about the alchemists--men who believe that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what would be left is the pure "Soul of the World". Of course, he does eventually meet a real alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to always stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," Santiago confides. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." The treasure will be found in a strange twist that I will not spoil for those who will want to read this rewarding book.

Through dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure, Coelho's book speaks about growing up, not about remaining childlike, like the hero of The little prince. Santiago has to peel away his immature fantasies about the treasure and immerse himself in the spirit of the world. The spirit that speaks through everyone and everything. One just has to learn listening to its voice and understanding the meaning. Once one put himself or herself in complete harmony with the way of nature, of the world spirit, one can realize that: "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true".

Rating (out of 5): *****

2006-04-28T13:47:00.000-04:00

LADIES send your Ostrich Feathers to G. EMERSON

I found this ad in a 1910 edition of the The Society Blue Book of Toronto, Hamilton and London. A Social Directory. The Blue Book was like the Yellow Pages today. If you weren't in it, you weren't in.

2006-04-26T09:16:00.000-04:00

Book review -- Prey by Michael Crichton

Yes, another Crichton book (2002). And yes, as most, this one is fast paced, engaging and highly enjoyable techno-corporate-thriller. One that is most difficult to put down. Assuming, of course, you actually decided to pick it up, which is a hard decision to make in a world filled with such a wealth of great literature. But read the first page or so and you are sucked into it.

Prey will probably not bring Crichton much closer to the Nobel Price for Literature for brilliance of style or powerful character development amidst sociopolitical turmoil. Still, this certainly belongs in the list of recommended reads.

In style, Prey is reminiscent of The Andromeda Strain, anther one of Crichton's classics, but with a much faster clock and a lot more twists and turns in the story line. It mixes in a spoonful of gender conflict and office hocus-pocus, some charade and extramarital affairs as well as some of the archetypical good guys against bad guys motif. All this in the context of the rapidly evolving nanotechnology industry.

The story - no worries, I will not kill it for you - begins with the scenario that if we and our all-powerful machinery have physical limitations in building extremely small gadgets, such as a bunch of molecules put together for a certain task, then why don't we turn to those natural factories, that have been doing exactly this type of manufacturing for millions of years: bacteria. And of course, this, the beginning of a strikingly elegant solution, is exactly where the deadly problem also begins. Since H. G. Wells we know microbes are fatal allies. They may serve and survive by killing. But of course, they themselves may have their greatest enemies in the world of microbes.

Such experimentation brings with itself the inherent serious risks. This is the usual warning of techno-thrillers. Messing with technologies, if not controlled properly, can and will lead to serious environmental hazard, even to destruction of life.

Crichton knows perfectly how to play this theme. In Prey this danger is represented the runaway experiment of the nanotech company Xymos. In The Andromeda Strain this danger came from outside the planet, in Timeline death comes in the face of the time machine, in Jurassic Park and The Lost World, another runaway experiment with recreating a long-gone era causes disaster, and in Crichton's latest, State of Fear it's the 'environmentalists' themselves messing with our understanding of our own planet who bring massive trouble.

Chris Phoenix has an interesting overview of the "exaggerations and mistakes in science" and the reality of the nanotechnology capabilities as related to Prey:
http://www.nanotech-now.com/Chris-Phoenix/prey-critique.htm

Rating (out of 5): ***

2006-04-25T14:56:00.001-04:00

Cactus Flower

My Astrophytum myriostigma (more commonly knows as Bishop's Miter or Bishop's Cap) is finally blooming. It is beautiful, and I am very proud of it.

This amazing plant is one of the genus Astrophytum, also called "Star Cacti" for their interesting shape. Some have spines, others have warts. Some have hair, some are twisted. Some have white flecking while others are completely 'nude'. They all seem to have unique personality as well. Alright, I know it's just me projecting some of my own into them but still. They sure are magnificent and unique.

Good source of information on cacti (or cactuses if you do not want to have to deal with the proper plural) is: Plants of the Cactaceae Family by desert-tropicals.com

Good reference books on cacti and other succlents:

2006-04-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

Book review -- Destination: Void by Frank Herbert

I have just finished reading Frank Herbert's Destination: Void (1966 - unfortunately, out of print).

It deals with the problem of what consciousness is, how it can be possibly created artificially, how its awakening can be deliberately achieved, and how dangerous this very act could be. In the context of the story of Voidship Earthling, a spaceship and her crew destined for a planet orbiting Tau Ceti to colonize it for human life, the book muses over the possibility of merging of human and computer consciousness. It brings in a lot of philosophy (and sometimes a bit tiring mathematical speculations) to explore questions of destiny, free will, and the relationship between religion and society, among other subjects.

The classic Herbert style shines through: very explicit separation of words and deeds from those thoughts that generate them; multiple levels of communication and meta communication; the amazing vision of the emergence of a new consciousness. All these are reappearing themes in his books: the transformation of Paul Atreides into Muad'Dib, the worm-man-god whose consciousness reaches back millennia trough his ancestors' memories and forward into the remote future through chains of possibilities shows a rather similar metamorphosis in the Dune series.

There is, however, one sentence, that I distinctly remember from the whole book (a mere 190 pages): "Isn't a man just a machine's way of making another machine?" An interesting twist of thought, a vague reflection on an old philosophical model (Plato's Allegory of the Cave in The Republic) on us not being able to perceive the world's true reality, our true nature and our own reason for existence.

Also notable: "The thing about computers—it's like training a dog. You have to be smarter than the dog. If you make a computer smarter than you are, that has to be accident, synergy, or divine intervention."

I am now looking forward to reading the rest of the series: The Jesus Incident, The Lazarus Effect, and The Ascension Factor (all of the out of print :( ).

Rating (out of 5): ****

2006-04-23T15:43:00.000-04:00

Ki látta Tarnóc Jánost?

A Hallelujah az egyik legkedvesebb dal számomra Leonard Cohen és Rufus Wainright előadásában. Ahogy most is hallgattam, egyszercsak ezen a szakaszon akadtam meg:

"Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah"

És eszembe jutott régi kedves ismerősöm (és feleségem angoltanárja) Tarnóc János egyik csodálatos verse.

Ki látta Uriást?

Vér tapad a királyi kézhez.
De ki látta, ami történt? És
ki látta Uriást?

Dávid fölkelt a fekhelyéről.
Kényelem.
A hatalom évek, évtizedek
szolgálata volt.
Aztán meglátta az asszonyt.

Kerestelek Betsabé, ezer nő között.
Iszonyú erő volt szépséged.
Egy idegen felesége? Ki a
felebarátom?
A halotti lepel fátyol.

Izráel a harcban van, s én
uralkodom e néptelen város felett.
A szolgálat nem uralom, mégis
király vagyok. Jóáb,
küldd hozzám a hettita Uriást!

Amikor az igaz ember szenved,
a szertartás pózzá merevül
és a közös étkezés hazugsága,
mint a méreg, átjárja a
testet.

Nem véd az engedelmesség.
Meztelenül jövünk és távozunk
mélyvilági küzdelmeken át.
Beállítva az arcvonalba
meghalt a hettita Uriás is.

A fegyver hol ezt, hol azt
pusztítja el.
Szemünkben lángol a napfogyatkozás.

-

Ki látta Tarnóc Jánost?

2006-04-23T14:55:00.000-04:00

What is a saint?

"What is a saint? A saint is someone who has achieved a remote human possibility. It is impossible to say what that possibility is. I think it has something to do with the energy of love. Contact with this energy results in the exercise of a kind of balance in the chaos of existence. A saint does not dissolve the chaos; if he did the world would have changed long ago. I do not think that a saint dissolves the chaos even for himself, for there is something arrogant and warlike in the notion of a man setting the universe in order. It is a kind of balance that is his glory. He rides the drifts like an escaped ski. His course is the caress of the hill. His track is a drawing of the snow in a moment of its particular arrangement with wind and rock. Something in him so loves the world that he gives himself to the laws of gravity and chance. Far from flying with the angels, he traces with the fidelity of a seismograph needle the state of the solid bloody landscape. His house is dangerous and finite, but he is at home in the world. He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen -- Beautiful Losers (1966)